Gifted storytellers: Lianne La Havas
This multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer and vocalist dropped her self titled album in 2020.
Lianne La Havas is a london based artist who started her career back in the 2010s. She’s a multi-instrumentalist and a very recognized vocalist (Co-signed by Prince, by the way). Lianne took 5 years off previous to this album, coming back with what is considered her best project yet. 3 albums into her career and almost a decade of work brought her to reunite what she had learned and put it into this masterful record.
She’d gotten a great amount of attention because of her most acoustic performances, specifically her Tiny Desk Concert back in 2015. As she started making music again, Lianne incorporated a more organic sound to the songs she’s writing. To add another layer to the already forming aesthetic of this LP, she decided to record the songs live on studio (All recorded in a single take with her whole band).
She also explained this project had a linear narrative through it too: The cycle of a relationship. This album explores the common pattern we all experience when we decide to let someone into our lives. From the point of getting over someone to falling in love again, experiencing rought patches and trying to figure out how to maintain the relationship alive, to the very last moments next to this person you’ve grown to love.
Don’t get me wrong, not a single song in here feels like a fictional piece. This album is self-titled because of how personal it is to Lianne; to who she is as a musician, what she’s went through and especially with her pain and sorrow being in full display on here. Everything about this album feels genuine.
The timing of this album was also essencial. 2020 was a year where grief and isolation where predominant. People seeked for comfort. The idylic and soft world Lianne conveyed through these songs was the perfect escape for those who got to enjoy this record when it came out. The subtle arrangements, brilliantly written and performed tracks were just what she needed to charm her listeners and bring much more.
“Bittersweet” is a neo-soul track with some glossy piano keys, beautiful guitar playing and an INSANE vocal performance from Lianne. This song represents a new beginning after calling quits with someone. She declares with a passionate and defiant tone:
As she walks out of this shared bond, she embarks on a new journey. It begins with “Read My Mind”, which tells the story of a young couple in the earlier stages of their relationship. They’re both lovesick and yearning to read eachother’s minds. They want to discover very edge, every secret and seek for answers together. “Green Papaya” continues with these themes while describing the fear that comes when you’re falling for someone. The kind of hesitation that holds you back at first, waiting for trust to be built around this connection. But at the end, love wins. It always does.
“Can’t Fight” depicts this love as a moving object that can tackle you. Like waves pulling you into a sea filled with peace and bliss. The first verse contains some beautiful lines that can describe it better than i can:
“It seems that I won't be warned
And certainly, I saw a sign
I raged like a woman scorned
But something about you got me gone
You’re pulling me back and now I'm going under”.
The relationship flourishes and we gain more perspective of it through “Paper Thing”, where Lianne is addressing the person she’s with. She describes him as someone who’s very anxious and in constant pain but they refuse to heal. She asks for “another key” to his heart so she can introduce her love into it. The song constantly changes perspectives because she’s trying to understand him and even though they’re both scared, she understands freedom is the only way out of this. She wants to love him with an intensity that he isn’t able to receive. His heart may not be prepared for that.
“Out of your mind” is a peek at Lianne’s brain during this turmoil, being confused and disturbed because this seems to be the first obstacle they’ve faced together. This leads us to the cover of Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes”. Lianne does not only make a poignant, liberating and splendid new version of it, but ties this up to the narrative of the record. This is a song about escaping from someone. Reaching the rock bottom and realizing you can and should escape. This is a clear sign but she decides to remain hopeful and keep trying.
In “Please Don’t Make Me Cry”, we listen to her pleading him to treat her carefully. She’s establishing boundaries between them so they don’t get to the instance of her crying over his mistakes or mistreatment. Her first verse reveals us why she’s trying to take control of their dynamic:
“False memories make it hard to believe
But knowing my half of my tale isn't easy for me
Overflow, love comes at a cost
You'll never know how much has been lost
I'll try to let it go, my fingers are crossed
I show you my pretty scars, they make us whatever we are”
She’s talking about how past relationships have affected her and created insecurities when it comes to envisioning herself with a partner once they’ve reached a considerable amount of time together. And this relationship is not the exception. She’s crossing her fingers because something’s been lost between them. She’s holding onto the good memories and hoping her vulnerability and honesty will make it last.
Unfortunately, it didn’t. “Seven Times” sees Lianne reflecting upon the mistakes he made while they’re together. It has this witty and bitter tone to it while being one of the most upbeat songs in the record. There are some brilliant lines like:
“Oh, so don't hold your breath because I'm easy breathing”.
The repetition of the “I cry and pray, all night, all day” in the chorus shows us she’s trying to cope with this loss and she finds in her connection with God a refuge. And it’s clear because she directly references the bible when talking about the repetition of an action “Seven times”. Which Jesus and the Psalmist diretly encouraged about forgiving and praying, respectively.
As the anger slowly fades, despair kicks in. “Courage” sees Lianne in a very vulnerable state. She feels lost, lonely and doubts she’ll ever get to the place she wants to be in or see the face that she longs to see again. She tries to summon the courage she needs to save herself because love is no longer what’s helping her reach new heights. She’s aware of her heart being no longer shared with who she loved, but an organ that lies in its own loneliness. A reminder of its previous withholder.
The final instances of this sung novel are very determinant. “Sour Flower” closes the album in a very positive note. We see her rebuilding herself, finding strength and starting to regain the confidence this person had stolen from her. She spoke in an interview about “Sour flower” being an expression her grandmother used, meaning “That’s your problem, you deal with it”.
She also said:
“For me, this song is all about the self-love and the self-care to restore yourself after whatever monumental derailment. I think it’s ultimately a positive ending. But also, I wanted to have that long outro as well, to represent the ongoing work that the person is doing on themselves to improve things”.
The album ends with Lianne laughing after losing the tempo while playing some hand drums. It’s a rebirth of the joy she lost with her loss. A new start, a fresh beginning. It’s very beautiful that some versions of the album start and end with “Bittersweet” because it enhances the cyclical nature of loving. It comes and goes, it evolves and transforms but at the end of the day, it never dies.
This is one of my favorite albums of all time. Lianne is a magnificent storyteller and after living with it for 3 entire years, i am still finding little details and lyrics that remind me of how amazing she is. She’s currently working on her 4th album (She’s writing? recording? it -Not confirmed by her- in Brazil) and i am so excited to see what she will deliver next.
If any of you knew about this album, i want to listen to your opinions. Which are your favorite songs? Is it your favorite from her? If you haven’t, i’d love to know your thoughts after you get into it.
Thank you so much for reading and i’ll see you on the next one!